Sydney, 20 September 2025 — Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecommunications provider, has pledged full cooperation with regulatory investigations after a severe technical failure disrupted emergency (triple-zero) call services for approximately 13 hours, resulting in the deaths of three people. The outage—triggered during a firewall upgrade—affected around 600 customers across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
During a press conference, CEO Stephen Rue expressed deep sorrow, offering his condolences to the families of the victims and acknowledging that what transpired was completely unacceptable. He confirmed that welfare checks were conducted on the affected households; in instances where no contact could be made, police have been involved. Optus said the system fault has been fixed and promised an investigation whose findings will be made public.
The affected emergency services number “000” became inaccessible during this period, which many saw as a fundamental failure of public safety infrastructure. The Australian government condemned the incident, calling it “completely unacceptable,” and various state premiers and opposition figures demanded transparent accountability. There were renewed calls for stricter regulatory oversight and improved emergency backup systems.
Optus has previously faced sanctions. In 2023, it was fined A$12 million after another outage left thousands without access to emergency services. The past incident had already prompted promises for systemic improvements. Rue reassured the public that the company will engage with all relevant agencies throughout the investigation.
